New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-06-05
AMERICAN WOOD ENGRAVING
4 FORTHCOMING COLLECTION.


.,.vprcANs ARE PREPARING TO SHOW.
-, .u,ump the shop counters and desks OF reviewers
800, hepcatb an increasing burden of illustrated booKs'
There are holiday books without number repuphca-
ttona of very old poems with very new ihusu""o,
uortfoiios Of etchings, Photographic expos"ons -
American art in general and great acne'e'ne
fhc WAY of illustration by individual artists re" Puo
,sho,s are 80 moor as to be without an anhuai ei'
book" Few artists Of any ability whatever as @
man fail to provide themselves win SONIC io'i" " -,
tratiye work or to find profitable occasions ioi -,
conner with an etching needle, or at least 10
their paintings and turn to good account ~. 800
rsnroducron It seemed last autumn 'nae inc i's"o''
ro illustrated literature had reached its height ana pos
siblv some publishers when proh ana loss were rcoA
oned deemed that the tide had already begun 10 CIV
Yet the indications that the output next i WI" 10
even larger and perhaps this will be the cuimhao "
oubt each of the various collections Of ro
productions and Of ctchings which are 10 DC s
An Ros,on and in Philadelphia will be Tie hnes' e'
hook az the season" But there will also De
,ubIished which will be made up Dy INC aius'' NO.
selxes who for four or five years nave peeh piepae
the hest possible examples Of an art In when America
a. rh.se artists are the members OF the Society
n, American Wood Engravers, and their pOruoho Vi
selected TO their best work VIII pe pup
lisbed for them by Harper Bros. in the fall
II was really for the purpose of placing before inc
public collection emDodyng the highest results u
American wood engraving that this society was iorne
feeling that the engraver was too remote from MS
ence and that neither his individuality nor the arusuc
quality Of his work fully recognized by tne reas
public AS most people are supposed 10 kno" INC eu
cravings in Harper's and The Century are not Prn'eu
from the lockwood blocks which the engraver cuts Dut
from electrotypcd copper plates which reproduce MS
wort no Doubt with the greatest possible mechanical
Yet the engraver does not find in the prints
all the freshness softness OF line and dehcacy Oh .oe
which he at least see in the engraVers prooie ms
taken from the block 1t has been righuy sao 'n''
American. printing OF wood engravin9s has become
fine art The adroit Of ovcrlays In the presses
r,oces NJ paper inserted increase the pressure In
certain places and strengthen the tOnesconsant super
vision consultation OF proofs by the printers anu o''
direct comparisons of the prints With the Original oia"
ings that the tones may be strictly Observed ana ohel
precautions have given American printing the hghesV
rank Nevertheless the printing OF the enormous
editions issued by the leading magazines IS neViapy
attended by some shortcomings and disadvantages which
the engraver feels acutey than the pubic III ,no
rapidly running power presses the slightest weak po
in mixing or paper what not Is speedily multiplied "
magnncd Each of the great magazines aims OF COURSE
10 use the very choicest quality Of heavy paper wch
shall take ink perfectly it has sometimes been fonnd
that the results unsatisfactory and the ehgVer
with anguish of spirit has seen MS graSs piins
black, and his blacks gray or such seemingly s'isn'
drawbacks to work of high character as our ihaga
zine Illustrations the average reader takes little heed'
III
10 assert himself and to publicly represented under
his conditions.
The socetys publication, therefore, Is something i"oio
than q commercial enterprise. The twenty nVe proofs
represent only love of the engravers art but also e
very earnest desire the part of the engrayers TO make
the pubc understand why they hold their art In honor
All these fifteen engravers with one exception, have
tingiy chosen to translate American paintings many
of which are not unfamiliar thus allowing comparisons
between originals and reproductions That admraoie
engraver of the figure, Mr.. Cole, mas ehgraVeu
fresco by Gotto MI Coles prolonged absence abroad
has deprived him OF an American SUBJECT rant
tDgs by Messrs. f. D. Millet and Gilbert GauI
have been engraved by Mr. Frank French, the
secretary of the society," known both as one OF the hst OF
our engrayers and as original designer The list OF
subjects and engravers follows: MI BlashheuS
g Pouting" and Mr.. f. S. Church's "The sibyl,' en-
praved by Mr. f. g. King; Mr.. John Lafarges painting
on the reredos Of st. Thomass Church and Mr. A. II.
Thayer's Lady and Horse" engraved by MISS O' A.
Powell; George Fuller's "QLadroon Girl ana W. M'
Hunts The Listeners" engraved by MI W. b. Ciossohi
Mr. Eastman Johnson's "New-England Peddler ana
r. s. Chords The Roadside" engraved by MI II.
Wolf; Mr. r. A. Blakelock's " Waterfall by moonlight
and Mr. Ehu Vedder's Identity engraved by MT. D.
G. Putnam; Mr.. Walter Shiraw's J" Among Ola foe's'
engraved by Mr.. j. p. Davis; a" Portrait oil ChIa py
Mr. j. W. Alexander, engraved by Mr. l. Johnson; W. NJ
Hunts portrait of himself and the TWO negro hSueS
from Mr.. Kappes's Rent Day." engraved by MI W.
Kruel; Mr. W 7. Smedley's Day in june and. Mr. L.
A. Abbcy's Miles standish's Challenge" engraved ny
Mr. f. II. Wellington; Mr.. George Innesss Morning
and Mr. A. p Ryders Flying Dutchman engraved by
Mr. Elbriage Kingsley; Mr. f. c. Joness Exchanging
Confdencesr engraved by Mr. j. Tinkey; Mr.. j. u
Browns; I'm Perfectly Happy" engraved by MT H. a.
Muller and Carl Mars Mystery of iAfe recently pre-
sented to the Metropolitan Museum, engraved by MT.
Bernstrom. Miller. Jungling and Whitney nave re
signed from the society AS usually the case IN such
collections figure subjects are in large majority
por itur
all represented The text 10 accompany these
engrayngs will be by Mr.. W. Mackay Lafan Inc
manner of publishing this collection has naturally been
regarded as matter of the first Importance Inc edRon
de Lure this portfolio will consist Of 100 copies ana
each of the proofs will be printed from the wood block
upon Japan paper on hand press by the chief proof
printer of Harper Bros. The size OF the mounts VIII
be 1884 by 23i2 inches Each proof Will be lightly pasted
at the upper within cardboard mat opening on
linen hinge The paper used Will be han fmade Win
the crest OF the society wood block showing various
STYLES Of engraving water mark The cover OF the
ortfoo will be of canvas with white leather back and
tins and the sociey's crest stamped in gold ON one
side The size Of the ordinary edition is not determined
For this the engravings will be printed from electro
types by power presses but all the work VIII be done
with the utmost The best personal efforts OF
printers as well as of engravers will be put forth to ex-
bibt worthy the best results attained In the only of
the craphic arts in which America leads every other
country.
And Of this superiority comparison between engrav-
fpgs in The English illustrated Magazine, for example,
and The Century and Harpes or between the latter and
the usual French wood engravings leaves no doubt.
French artists Felix Buho for instance openly admit
the great superiority of American work, while Mr.
Hamerton has borne interesting testimony to its
excellence whatever may be the differences OF opin
ion about the desrableness OF this initiative art there
can DO no question that the Americans have far sur
passed all other nations In deescy OF execution. The
manual skill displayed in their woodcuts is continual
marvel and il is accompanied by so much intelligence
] mean so much critical understanding of different
graphic arts portfolio OF their best woodcuts is
most interesting Not only do they understand engrav
INIT fhev ara printers In the